- Fears Mount Over 2027 Elections As Sources Allege Rigging Agenda
- Dual result sheets and IReV manipulation reported in past off-cycle polls.
- Civil society groups warn credibility of future elections is at risk.
Fresh concerns are mounting over the credibility of the 2027 general elections, with insiders at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) warning that the polls could become the most compromised in Nigeria’s history if urgent reforms are not implemented.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that according to reports, politicians are said to have infiltrated INEC’s internal systems, allegedly plotting to manipulate operations and predetermine outcomes in key states.
A major strategy reportedly under consideration involves producing dual sets of result sheets across polling units, wards, and local governments.
A source told Vanguard that the plan includes printing identical Forms EC8A (polling unit), EC8B (ward), and EC8C (local government). One set would be publicly presented at polling units, while another set would be secretly reserved for the strategic allocation of votes. This, according to insiders, is aimed at creating discrepancies between physically recorded results and those uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The technological innovations introduced in recent years, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and IReV, which were designed to strengthen electoral credibility, are also reportedly vulnerable to exploitation.
Allegations point to off-cycle elections in Kogi (2023), Edo (2024), and Ondo (2024), where pre-prepared results were allegedly uploaded to IReV before voting ended, casting doubts on the platform’s integrity. In Edo State, civil society observers documented instances where the number of votes counted exceeded the number of accredited voters, which they described as a clear indication of manipulation.
Civil society groups and election observers have expressed growing unease over the recurring irregularities. They noted that by-elections conducted after the 2023 polls revealed the same disturbing trends, including unexplained delays in uploading results on IReV and the use of alternative “original” result sheets allegedly prepared by compromised officials.
The concerns highlight the urgent need for transparency and reforms in Nigeria’s electoral process as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
